Refracted Light
by NinjaGhost1752
Summary: After chasing Aang, Sokka, and Katara to Avatar Roku's Temple, what if Zuko hadn't been accidentally freed by Roku? What if Fire Sage Shyu did not flee with the other sages in the wake of Roku's wrath? What if, they became unwilling companions on the Avatar's journey?
1. The First Spark

**Plot Summary:** After chasing Aang, Sokka, and Katara to Avatar Roku's Temple, what if Zuko hadn't been accidentally freed by Roku? What if Fire Sage Shyu did not flee with the other sages in the wake of Roku's wrath? What if, he became an unwilling companion on the Avatar's journey?

 **A/N:** This story begins during the second part of Season 1 Episode 8: Avatar Roku (Winter Solstice, Part 2). I have always had a problem with the way that Ruko burned away the chains that tied Sokka, Katara, Sage Shyu, and Zuko to the pillars outside the fire temple sanctum _without_ even singing their clothes. Flame hot enough to melt chains would melt flesh long before the chains themselves melted or were incinerated.

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender. It belongs to Nickelodeon and its respectful owners.**

* * *

In all of Prince Zuko's sixteen years, there were few times in his life that he had ever felt as enraged as he did at this very moment. Before him stood five Fire Sages, sages whose sacred duty was to the Fire Nation and its people, and they just let the Avatar, enemy of the Fire Nation, into the Inner Sanctum of Avatar Roku's Temple.

"Why did you help the Avatar?" shouted Zuko.

"Because it was once the sage's duty" one of the Fire Sage calmly replied. "It is still our duty," he added with conviction.

He couldn't believe this! Here he was standing with a traitor Fire Sage when the Avatar had already arrived at his intended destination. Of all the piles upon piles of scrolls that Zuko had read regarding the one being in the world who could bend all four elements, he knew that contact between the current Avatar and one of the Avatar's former lives was not in his best interest. Who knows what kind of power the Avatar would be able to call to his command? The vortex that the Avatar summoned at the South Pole was bad enough. Facing the Avatar without his crew or uncle for backup was asking for trouble. If he did not capture the Avatar and get back to his skiff before Zhao arrived, he would be in for a fight. He had just run a blockade not two hours before. He should know better to even think of that spawn of Koh. If his luck continues like this...

Throughout the hall, slow clapping echoed a rhythmic slow beat. If anyone could make clapping sound arrogant, Zhao had found a way. Out of the shadows stepped Commander Zhao flanked by six fully armored Fire Nation soldiers poised and ready for battle. Zuko was too late. An ever-present conceited smirk was present on the Commander's face as he regarded those before him in utter contempt. "What a moving and heartfelt performance." Zhao, emboldened by the shock visible on the apparent traitors' faces, assured of his imminent victory over the Avatar, could not resist paying Zuko back for the disgrace that was their Agni Kai. "I'm sure your father will understand when you explain why you've betrayed him." Nearly three years ago, Zhao was present at Zuko's fateful duel. If you asked him, the Prince was not punished enough. He still had that pesky habit of failing to realize who his superiors were.

Zuko dropped from his bending stance while a soldier discreetly circled around the room to Zuko's left. His obvious blind spot where his severe burn scar limits his peripheral vision. The Head Sage immediately welcomed Zhao with a bow of respect and subservience. Zhao continued his monologue as if he had never heard the priest utter a single word.

"….and Prince Zuko. It was a noble effort, but your little smokescreen didn't work." The realization that Zhao had outsmarted him enraged the young prince to heights he barely thought possible. "Two traitors in one day. The Fire Lord will be pleased." As Zhao uttered these words, the guard advanced and seized Zuko's wrists, forcing them behind his back. Zuko stalled in a moment of shock. Uncle's many lectures about him not thinking things through suddenly hit him with full force.

Realizing that he was outnumbered, Zuko attacked Zhao in the only way he had left, an assault on the Commander's pride. "You're too late Zhao! The Avatar's inside and the doors are sealed."

Zhao simply regarded this development with a glance at the door and a raised eyebrow. Was the boy really that foolish and naïve? Most definitely. Zuko was but a spoiled, banished prince after all: useless, weak, and oh so ignorant!

"No matter. Sooner or later, he has to come out." The smirk on his face grew. "Unfortunately for you, there will be no more chances for you to apprehend the Avatar for we are taking you into custody immediately."

Zuko's expression turned murderous. "You can't do this!"

"Yes, I can. You knew the terms of your banishment and you openly defied them." Zhao gave a brief chuckle at some joke only he was privy to. Almost as an afterthought, he added: "Still, what can you expect from the traitor prince of the Fire Nation? An exile burned and banished by his own father? Disgusting." A low gasp was heard from one of the Avatar's companions. The soft noise gained the attention of both men.

Zuko was ashamed himself. How could slip up like this? How could he forget his surroundings and allow a guard to restrain him? How could he forget about the peasants? In the grand scheme of things, the two water tribe peasants meant very little to his mission. However, wherever the Avatar went, they were sure to follow, possibly. The Avatar would most likely know of his shame in little time because of Zhao.

Though Zuko had chased the Avatar through the Southern Isles, he knew nothing about those the Avatar traveled with except for three things. First, the water tribe male was in the possession of an infernal weapon that could strike an opponent from behind. Second, one of the two peasants had at least some skill in strategy and maneuvering. He first believed it was the Avatar, but after seeing him leap from the back of his Sky Bison into serpent-infested waters and infiltrating the fire nation, Zuko was having second thoughts. Finally, the water tribe girl had a big mouth on her. The way she painted a target on herself at Lóngzhōu Prison...was disturbing. Had the Avatar and her kin not come to rescue her, she would likely be dead or worse, maimed.

Commander Zhao glanced towards the Avatar's companions with passing interest. So, they did not know who had been pursuing them until now? Interesting.

Zhao met the gaze of the Fire Nation soldier holding Zuko restrained. "Tie him up and leave him with the water tribe scum."

Zuko struggled little as the six guards surrounded him and chained him to one of the grand pillars supporting the massive hallway and ornate roof of the building. If it was another one-on-one fight with Zhao, he was more than ready. However, facing six trained Firebenders, four Fire Sages, Zhao, and the Avatar was too much, even for him.

"We will deal with the traitors and rebels later, for now, surround the entrance to the temple sanctum. The Avatar will not be given a chance to escape. You will see Prince Zuko what real soldiers can do under the command of a competent leader." All soldiers drop into an offensive stance with their right arms extended to divert an oncoming attack while leaving the left arm low and close to guard one's center and unleash a devastating counter. "When those doors open, unleash all your firepower!"

The female water tribe member asked in a small voice: "how's Aang going to make it out of this?"

The male water tribe rebel answered: "how are we going to make it out of this?"

The traitor sage just looked on with a brow furrowed in worry for the Avatar, the Avatar's companions, and himself.

Without warning, a brilliant blue light radiated from inside the sanctum. An unearthly rumbling filled the air whilst a mist flowed from under the ornate doors, permeating the atmosphere with raw power and energy. Zuko had to turn his good eye away from the light's intensity. The doors that were sealed shut from Avatar Ruko's power just moments ago began to slowly creak open.

"Ready," cried Commander Zhao.

There, out of the darkness, two unnaturally cold, glowing eyes were visible.

"No! Aang!" cried the water tribe peasant in fear that her friend was walking right into a trap. The water tribe male struggled in his binds, a vain attempt to break free.

Abruptly Zhao issued the command to fire. Each Fire Nation soldier's left hand formed a fist and bent a strong blast of fire into the darkness, towards the glowing eyes. The jets were redirected to form a spiraling dome of fire that protected the Avatar within.

The flames moved and spun with an intense ferocity that could only be achieved by a Master. As the flames parted in front of the Avatar, all present were surprised to see that it was not a twelve-year-old Airbender. From the inferno, emerged a figure not seen for over a hundred years and he was furious.

"Avatar Roku" breathed Sage Shyu.

No sooner than these words were spoken did the spiritual projection of Avatar Ruko, the Fire Nation Avatar before Aang, take action. He gathered the flames into a dense, burning mass in front of himself before releasing the flame outward. The scorching blast knocked Zhao and his followers to the ground. They immediately retreated in fear of the Avatar's legendary wrath leaving just the Sages and those chained to temple's pillars to face his wrath. The visage of Avatar Ruko turned towards the Fire Sages, his supposed disciples. They gasped in alarm and too departed from the Avatar's presence.

However, Roku's rage was not sated, the evil that had taken root and gathered in this place of worship must not be allowed to continue any further. Sage Shyu felt a shift in the Chi surrounding Avatar Ruko. "The Avatar is going to destroy the temple!" exclaimed Sage Shyu from his place next to the peasant girl. "We have to get out of here."

Zuko, like the trio chained to the opposing column, began to struggle for his life. With the amount of malice and pain palatable in the air, he knew that the sage's words were true.

"Sokka, we are not leaving without Aang!" cried the peasant girl to her kin.

"Katara! I think he'll be fine, but we won't unless he snaps out of it" Sokka half-shouted, half-squeaked at the newly dubbed Katara.

"Wait! I have an idea" rasped the elderly sage. Zuko's head snapped up to look at the motley group. Sage Shyu closed his eyes and drew in a slow, deep breath and began to superheat the chain on his left where the exterior of his left forearm came into contact with the chain. The area quickly became hot and the sizzle of burning flesh could be heard. With the heat radiating from a focus point on his arm, Shyu spun the fingers of his left hand pinned tightly to his back in spiraling motions to draw the molten metal away from his arm as quickly as the iron melted. Farther and farther the link stretched until….it snapped in two. Shyu was left with a painful looking burn on his left forearm, but that move could have just saved his and the Avatar's companion lives. The chains fell away from the trio as the Avatar began to move.

Zuko was becoming distressed at this point in time. Time seemed to progress in slow motion, he needed to act quickly before the Avatar made his next move. Following some of the Sage's example, he formed a fist with his left hand and a dagger of fire formed with his pinky finger forming the "hilt" and focusing the direction of the flames. He bent them towards the length of chain wrapped around his waist and worded to superheat a length. He was bending as much fire onto the chains as possible, yet they would not break. His fire was much cooler and much less focused than Shyu's.

Unfortunately for Zuko, time ran out. The Fire Avatar wasted no time bending his left knee and extended out his left arm and brought it down in a powerful arch of flame. The sheer intensity of which melted feet of solid stone as quickly as a white, hot Dao wreathed in flame would cut through a block of ice, quickly and with little resistance in the hands of a Master. The arch of fire continued to forge onward throughout the hall until the arch of fire rents a large hole into the stone and wood of the solid temple walls. The Avatar then slowly drew up his extended arm with the end of his hand limp towards the lava. With the slightest motion, hundreds of tons of molten rock leaped up from the tunnels and chambers deep within the earth's crust and coursing throughout the temple.

Lava gushed in a narrow cylindrical column hundreds of feet above the surface of the island, through the heart of the temple, and came crashing through the floor of the hallway and the inner sanctum. The pillar of molten rock burst through the roof of the temple and rained from the sky, coating the ground around the temple. The ground surrounding the temple was turned into a burning river. Inside the temple, Avatar Ruko stemmed the flow of lava and directed it to disperse in the lower chambers of the temple and across the main stairway to prevent the return of any more intruders. All the while, Zuko continued to try and break free, but the reinforced steel did not melt and drip away easily.

Miraculously, the Fire Sages, Zhao, and his soldiers make it out of the temple in one piece. The elder Firebenders were able to bend away from the group several smaller pieces of flying lava. As quickly as the attack began, it stopped. Avatar Ruko lowered the arm he held extended towards the ceiling. He faced his palms towards the ground and exhaled while gently lowering his arms. As his arms fell to his sides, a mighty gust of wind whistled through the corridor allowing the inner sanctum to reclaim the ethereal fog that had spewed from the room only moments ago.

Once the fog cleared away, the figure of Aang, the 12-year old air nomad, was revealed. The two peasants rushed over to the kneeling nomad. In that moment, Shyu rushed over to the bound Prince. Taking a lower stance than displayed by Zhao's benders earlier, Shyu extended his right fist with his palm facing the pillar. His left arm was held close to his torso and his elbow near his side. With all of the speed of a leopard-viper, Shyu thrust out his flaming left hand in a forward jab and severed the reinforced steel with ease. Zuko looked at the Sage with amazement. The flame that had surrounded the Sage's hand had nearly grown white with intensity and a focus that made the flame look almost solid. Zuko bolted towards the stairs not wanting to stay in a building whose foundations had been melted.

On the other side of the room, a brief reunion took place.

"We got your back," said Sokka.

"Thanks, where's Shyu?" asked the monk in a daze.

"Over here," said Shyu as he hurried over to the Avatar.

Zuko halted at the top of the stairs when he encountered a lake of lava. "The straits have been destroyed. There's no way down!" he exclaimed and turned towards the group. It might have been Zuko's mission to capture the Avatar, but he wanted to return to the Fire Nation alive. A pillar crashed on the far side of the hall as the building began to collapse. Zuko joined the Avatar, Katara, Shyu, and Sokka at the edge of a gaping hole that leads on the outside of the temple. It was gradually tilting towards the sea below, but the tipping toward was rapidly gaining in momentum as it toppled over towards the sea.

"Look!" cried the water tribe male. Soaring through the sky was the Avatar's accursed Sky Bison and… a winged lemur wearing the Great Sage's hat?

With only moments to spare, all five of the remaining occupants of Roku's Temple slid from the tiled roof and onto the Sky Bison. Behind the survivors, Roku's tower toppled and collapsed down the mountainside until the entire structure was completely consumed by lava or the sea. With a deep, rumbling bellow, the Sky Bison flew away from Crescent Island.

* * *

From the safety of his ship, Zhao looked upon the scene with fury. After a beat, he lowered his gaze to those bound before him. "No Prince. No Avatar. The only thing I do have is four traitors."

"But, Commander Zhao, only Shyu helped the Avatar! We knew nothing of his plans" argued the Great Sage.

"Save your story for the Fire Lord. As far as I'm concerned, you're all guilty. Take them to the prison hold," Zhao exclaimed as he turned on his heal to storm into the Captain's quarters. He needed time to plot his next move.

* * *

 **A/N (Part 2):** Uh oh, looks like Appa is carrying two too many passengers. The GAang will not be too pleased.

 **Reflections:**

 _ **The Fire Sage's Bending Prowess**_ : In Season 2, we are introduced to Azula, the prodigy princess of the Fire Nation; however, all prodigies have to have someone to learn from if they want to become true masters. Azula had to have learned her high-level bending techniques from somewhere. The most probable answer is the Fire Sages. Even though we do not see the Fire Lord doing much in the series acting as Head of State, he is seen meeting with many different people and listening to updates about the war. With a nation to run, Ozai does not have the time to train Azula in order for her to reach her max potential. The only people that we see instructing Azula are Li and Lo. Watching them train Azula does not make sense. Li even mentioned this to Azula when she and Lo were ordered to dual and Agni Kai at the beginning of Sozin's Comet Part 3 (Into the Inferno). Gender aside, I would like to think that Li and Lo are a not sages themselves because they are not benders. The twins are not sages, but they are closely affiliated with them. With this in mind, I believe that the sages should be very powerful benders.

 _ **Zuko running the blockade**_ **:** Zuko is very lucky that Zhao did not report this to Ozai in the original series. It would have been a mark against Zhao's reputation to do so. By letting Zuko into the Fire Nation, Zhao was committing treason (with reason). However, Zuko actively defying the Fire Lord by attempting to gain entry or sailing into Fire Nation water would have incurred the Fire Lord's wrath and likely spare Zhao from severe punishment.

 _ **Zhao's comments to Zuko outside the inner sanctum**_ **:** It is evident that Zuko's banishment was intended to be permanent. Zhao even insinuated as much when he confronted Zuko in Season 1 Episode 3. Being the arrogant hothead that Zhao was, he would not have been able to resist getting a jab in on Zuko at every possible opportunity. We don't know all of what happened while Aang was meeting with Roku, so I felt like any number of thing could have been said by Zhao, things that change the entire narrative of the story. Zhao was humiliated at the Agni Kai. Not just by Zuko, but by Iroh as well. Zhao's defeat was also in the presence of his subordinates. That would have wounded his pride. Just the threat of telling the Fire Lord that Zuko had defied his orders yet again could have made Zuko very afraid of earning his father's disapproval again.

 _If you have read this far, I want to say "thank you" for giving my story a chance. I am new to writing Fanfiction and Creative Writing for an audience in general. I want to grow as a writer, so I value any and all feedback. Please, leave comments letting me know what you think of the plot and any mistakes that you see. If you like this series, I am also looking for a Beta reader for some of my works._

 _Until Next Time,_

 **NinjaGhost1752**


	2. Fanning the Flame

**A/N:** Thank you for all of the positive feedback you guys have given me! Because of that encouragement, I have outlined the next couple of chapters for this story already, so I do hope to update regularly. As I said I have everything from the time the GAang lands and for the next several chapter onwards plotted with the dialogue coming naturally. However, this chapter of initial reactions fought with every line, every word of the way. I hope it turned out okay.

Without further ado, let's see where Appa is taking us. (Edit: 6/18/2018)

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender. It belongs to Nickelodeon and its respectful owners.**

* * *

"Aang turn around! We've got a problem!" shouted Sokka as he scrabbled across Appa's saddle and away from the enemy.

"You!" Karata exclaimed in shock.

The Prince of the Fire Nation was knelt on Appa's saddle looking over Appa's side at the sea below.

Katara moved to uncap her water skin and hurl the water within at Zuko with as much force as she could muster.

As Sokka unsheathed his boomerang, the sound of leather against metal must have reached the prince's ear. Zuko turned in their direction.

Aang dropped into a battle-ready stance to Sokka's left with his staff pointed in Zuko's direction.

"Wait, please, do not attack the prince!" said Shyu as he placed a hand on Sokka's right shoulder. Whether to calm him or restrain him, Sokka was not too sure. Katara and Sokka halted their attack; even so, their bodies remained taunt like bowstrings waiting to defend Aang. Aang stayed in a defensive stance, but he loosed it just a bit.

"Why not? Do you know what all he's done? He invaded our village, captured Aang, and burned down Kyoshi Island!" shouted Katara.

At the mention of Kyoshi, Shyu glanced at Zuko. A somber look passed across his face before he turned and resumed speaking to Sokka and Katara.

"I am not defending his actions." After a pause, Shyu continued with a calm voice. "I merely wish to remind you all that the Sky Bison was the only means of escape for any of us following the appearance of Avatar Roku. Roku caused the temple to collapse and there was a sea of lava below."

"But…" Katara began only to be cut off by Shyu.

"Do you wish him dead? That he should have perished in a collapsing, burning building when there was a means to escape a cruel death just a few feet away?"

The realization that Zuko would have died had he not come with them caused the Sokka to recoil in surprise.

To Sokka's left, Aang lowered out of his fighting stance completely. Aang abruptly gianed a white-knuckled grip on his staff.

"No!" cried Aang. "The monks taught me that all life is sacred and I'm sure that Sokka and Katara feel the same way." Aang's shout caused Katara to back down into a somewhat less threatening stance.

Sokka cared about Aang, he was one of the only guys that he had ever met even remotely close to his age. Still, times like this just threw back in Sokka's face how little he knew about the monk.

Katara seemed to ignore Aang's declaration and continued to argue against Shyu. "Okay, maybe the guys didn't have any options, but that doesn't mean he won't attack us now!"

"Are you serious?!" Zuko huffed. "You can't be serious. Look around us. We. Are. Hundreds. Of. Feet. In. The. Air. How could I capture the Avatar and get him back to my ship like this?!"

From Sokka's perspective, Zuko looked poised like a pigmy-puma ready to pounce at a moment's notice. It would be a more threatening stance had he not also possessed a white-knuckled grip on one of the saddle's hand holds.

"He can't come with us. We can just throw him in the sea within swimming distance of one of those Fire Navy ships and he can figure a way to get back to his ship and leave us all alone!" Sokka reasoned. The guy at least seemed to know the fire navy officer.

"No! You can't do that!" Zuko is naturally very pale, but the bleached complexion he adorned would look more natural on a ghost. His expression made Sokka pause. He _knew_ that look. It reminded him of what his Dad looked like after having a nightmare about the raid that took their mother. Living in a hut means that you know when someone is not sleeping well. His Dad always tried his best to hide how much mom's death hurt him and how scared Hakoda was of losing Sokka and Katara. Because he was their dad, Hakoda would put on a brave face. It was a face a person made when well-founded fears pass through your mind or, at least, what you thought were well founded. Zuko had the expression of a man who was afraid and knew something bad was going to happen.

"Why not?" Sokka gave an irritated sigh. "I take it there is a history between you and that other guy? The guy with the sideburns." What was his name again?

"What?" asked Zuko.

"You know "what," he was acting like you guys had met a few times before. He also seemed to know a lot about you, like personal stuff. And what was up with the whole "banished" thing. It can't be true," Sokka accused. "No father would ever do something so…cruel. You had a massive ship and crew following us around. You and sideburns guy must be working together. What are you planning?"

"Just shut up! You stupid peasant! You don't know anything!"

"Alright!" Shyu voiced over the budding shouting match. "That is enough. All of you need to calm down before someone gets hurt." Shyu addressed Sokka in a mild tone "It has been a long day. Young man, bear in mind your situation and think wisely before you act. It would not prudent for you to entice your enemies into a fight in which they are cornered and likely to lash out. Sokka, Katara, and Avatar Aang, I know that you have had your grievances with his highness in the past; however, what he says is true. While I understand that you all are worried about the Avatar's safety, Prince Zuko cannot act against any of you at this time. Prince Zuko, you do not have your crew at your beck and call to assist you now. You are in the air and your targets is an air nomad. Sage Osamu should have instructed you in the ways of Ember Tactics during the second year of your military education. Either that branch of your education is lacking or you ignored your teachers. Sometimes, a single ember smoldering in the background can burn longer than a raging fire. It survives in the hope of one day gaining the resources that it needs to burn brightly. In other words, do not act with haste."

"What in Agni do you mean by 'haste?' I cannot capture the Avatar at this moment because we are Hundreds. Of. Feet. In. The. Air. But I will be able to capture him after we make landfall. I am not claiming that I will do anything right now."

"Then it appears that we have a stalemate. At this moment, you cannot harm them and they cannot harm you for fear of the threat of retaliation." Turning to address Aang directly, Shyu continued "For now, I am curious to know our destination. Commander Zhao may have called a search party together now that there has been a recent signing of the Avatar. I fear that we may be given chase unless we put some distance between ourselves and the commander."

"Our destination needs to be my ship. Return me to my ship immediately!" The Fire Nation Prince was not making things easy.

With a glance towards Zuko, Shyu attempted to placate him. "General Iroh must be beside himself with worry over your fate. I will do what I can to see that you are reunited with your uncle. For now, there is little that we can do. We are still in Fire Nation waters and I do not believe that you want to linger here for too much longer. We can take you to one of the occupied territories along the Earth kingdom's western coast. Once we are there, you will be free to leave and contact your uncle. Do we have an accord?"

"Fine" "Yeah, whatever" came the reluctant replies from Sokka and Zuko.

"Actually" Aang inturupted "we are already heading to the Earth Kingdom. Appa is getting tired from flying all day. Having all of us as passengers are just going to make Appa tired even faster. There are not many islands anywhere near here that we could use to hide from Zhao."

"Then we should find a clearing along the shores of the Earth Kingdom," Sokka suggested. He put a hand to his chin in thought. "We need somewhere we can hide that the Fire Navy will have a hard time reaching the shore and has cliffs steep enough or trees dense enough to hide Appa."

"Ooh. Ooh. Ooh. I know a place." Aang appeared to be brimming with excitement even after the long day he had. Where did he find all that energy? "The Port of Call of Shingu. It is also called "rainbow falls." They say when the sun sets that it reflects off the mist from the waterfall and makes a never-ending rainbow!"

"Rainbows. Is this kid serious?" Sokka actually had to agree with the Angry Jerk over that point. For as powerful as he is, Aang is still just a goofy kid.

 _Maybe I can find some common ground with the Prince Jerk after all._

"You know what? Forget it." Zuko laid down at the edge of the saddle and turned his back to the other travelers.

"No. No way are we going to let you sit there all night untied" she shouted. "You would likely try to kidnap Aang in his sleep."

"If that is what it takes to capture him, then, yes," Sokka growled at the smug tone of Zuko's voice.

 _On second thought, maybe not._

"Uh…right. I'm not the evil mastermind here. I don't know what your evil plans are because….well, I'm sure it's evil." Zuko's eye twitched at Katara's retort.

"Ha, you…" started Zuko. Whatever he was going to say was stopped by another sassy remark from Katara.

Sokka closed his eyes and rubbed his temples in a feeble attempt to chase away his mounting headache. It was going to be a long evening.

"Sokka." He looked up at the mention of his name.

"What is it, Shyu?"

"I was wondering if you had any bandages that I could use. I wish to cover my wound until it can be properly treated," asked Shyu.

"Your wound?"

"Yes, I was injured while we were leaving the temple." Shyu brought up his left forearm and…

* * *

"Sokka." Who?

"Sokka? I think he's waking up" Oh yeah, Katara was calling him. Why did is head feel fuzzy? He opened his eyes and was greeted by three faces looking down at him with concern. In the background, he could hear laughing. For some reason, the laughter was only serving to annoy him.

"Um….hi guys. What just happened?"

"You saw Shyu's burn and fainted." Sokka's eyes darted to Shyu's arm. Fortunately, it was already covered with bandages. That must have been Katara's doing.

"What? No, I do not faint. I must have just passed out. The air is thin up here. Aang, isn't the air a bit thin? It is a bit hard to breathe. I must have just passed out." Damn. His voice was cracking even as he said those few sentences. Katara will not let him live this down. It was then that Sokka realized that it had been Zuko laughing in the background. Well, good for him. He now had two people who will not let him forget this any time soon. "How long was I out for anyway?"

"Not long, only a minute or two," Katara gently replied. The sky was a little bit darker than before, but not too much. Now that he had regained control over his breathing, he could sit up once again.

"Shyu, what happened? Did you get hit by some of the lava? That burn…we need to get you to a doctor. Soon." A burnt band of skin was present on the outside of Shyu's left forearm. It was charred with a blackened color.

"No, I was not hit by any lava. As a sage, I have trained for years in many arts, healing was one of them. This happened when I used a concentrated version of a technique called "Dragon's Armor" to melt the chain. It was just unfortunate that the metal I heated was in contact with my skin."

"Dragon's Armor? What is that?" said a voice directly behind him.

.

.

One Beat.

Two.

Three.

Okay, his heart did NOT stop just now. Sokka whirled and raised and pointed a finger at Zuko.

"Do NOT sneak up on people like that." Zuko snorted at that remark but didn't comment. His smirk was infuriating. Before they could start arguing again, Shyu continue his explanation.

"Dragon's Armor is a technique that is only practiced by Master benders to expel heat and flames from any point across one's body. With this technique, a bender can render himself untouchable for a time. It is one of the most refined versions of the breathing exercise all beginner Firebenders are taught."

"What does breathing exercises have to do with melting metal?" asked Aang.

"It is far too soon for you to learn Firebending, but I suppose that I can tell you about some of fire bending's basics and philosophy. The breath becomes energy in the body. The energy, Chi, extends past your limbs and becomes fire." Shyu demonstrated by taking a breath and summoning a small flame in his right palm. He snuffed out the flame after a beat. "What I did was manipulate my Chi and focused the energy through a single Chi Point in my left forearm. The metal of the chains holding Katara, Sokka, and I absorbed the thermal energy that I expelled. After reaching a near melting point, fragments of molten metal within the links allowed me to bend the chains until they were severed. Since the heat was being released outward from my body, the outward flow of energy acted as a buffer to protect me from serious harm. The burn looks bad, yet it is quite shallow. It will scar, but I will be fine as long as my injury is kept clean."

"But, the chains were still metal. You should not have been able to bend it," protested Zuko.

Shyu adopted a thoughtful look and then gazed towards the sky where stars and the moon were beginning to appear. "I have heard tales of water benders manipulating the water in plants to make them move. The Sandbenders of the Great Shi Wong Desert in the Earth Kingdom manipulate sand to create Dust Devils and sail gliders across sand dunes. A bender is only limited by his own imagination."

"Fire bending can even be used to comfort burn victims." He placed his right hand on his exposed left wrist where the skin was not covered by the bandages, but still a bit red. After a second, the wound began to emit small traces of steam. "The thing that makes burns so devastating compared to other injuries is that once the skin is burned, unless cooled within seconds of exposure, all damage is permanent. It doesn't heal except through time when new cells can regrow or a water bending healer. By manipulating my Chi, I can expel heat from the area around part of my burn a bit to cool it. It does not heal the wound, but it makes the wound a bit less painful," pausing for a moment Shyu looked up from his work. "Although, Aang and Prince Zuko, I _strongly_ recommend that you don't try this unless you have mastered manipulating your own Chi." Shyu gained a rueful smile. "We would not want to give ourselves frostbite would we?"

Sokka was surprised. It looked like both Aang and Zuko had stopped to think, really think, about Shyu was saying. If they can stay quiet like that until they reach the mainland, this night won't be so bad.

"All those applications of bending. It's incredible how the elements can work with each other," said Aang.

"Indeed." All of the cheerfulness that had been in Shyu's face moments before vanished. "However, I fear that this kind of ingenuity will soon leave the world if the war continues its course," he warned. No one knew what to say after that, so the weary travelers turned in for the evening.

* * *

It was now daytime. All Aang could see before him was sunny blue skies with white fluffy clouds and an ocean that extended to the horizon in every direction. Appa smoothly glides through the air. It felt so nice being able to wander again, to drift wherever the wind takes me. Maybe he should see if Bumi and his good Hotman Kuzon would be willing to take a few weeks away from home so they can ride the Hopping Llamas or ride the backs of the Giant Koi Fish. The sights they would see brings a smile to Aang's face. Being an orphan, Bumi would have no problem traveling. It is such a shame that Kuzon has school, so their choices are limited to the Black Cliffs or Ember Island. The Fire Nation is…..

Aang blinks. The Fire Nation is….

He is now surrounded by a dense forest. The sky changed color. It was no longer a sapphire blue, but a rusted red. A comet blazed across the sky while passing dangerously close to the earth. Aang realized that he was now seated on the ground and Appa was nowhere in sight. When did he get here? This is getting weird.

"Appa? Appa where are you?" His glider is gone. Looks like he is walking. He travels down a forest path while calling for his companion for a while. After what seemed like ages, Aang notices smoke rising above the tree line. A large section of forest is on Fire! Aang realizes that the section is too large for him to put out by himself. The forest is too thick and it does not look like it had rained in a while. He needs to get out of here.

Aang starts to run in one direction, but he is cut off by the blaze. Aang turns and runs in another direction. He meets another wall of Fire. Another and another.

He is surrounded. Aang leaps from branch to branch until he is standing at the top of a tall pine tree. All around him, the forest is burning in every direction.

"Aang" called a voice.

"Roku?"

The disembodied voice of Ruko continued. "Mastering the elements takes years of discipline and practice. Aang, if the world is to survive, you must do it by summer's end. You must defeat the Fire Lord before the comet arrives. If he succeeds, even the Avatar will not be able to restore balance to the world…."

The smoke around him was becoming very thick. He couldn't see. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't think. He couldn't…

* * *

Aang awoke from the nightmare with a frightened shout.

He must have nodded off on Appa's neck.

"Aang? What's wrong? I heard you scream" asked Katara. He must have woken her up. A series of grunts confirmed that he woke everyone up. Sokka sat up with his boomerang in one hand and his club in the other.

"Whaz'it. 'ave we be'n captured again?" Looks like paranoia was getting the better of Sokka, again.

"It's just a dream. What Roku told me, it's bad. Really, really bad" replied Aang. Zuko settled for an irritated grunt before trying to get back to sleep.

"Look as bad whatever news *yawn* Ruko told you was, we can't be talking about stuff like that in front of the enemy. We'll talk in the morning. Go back to sleep," said Sokka.

"Yeah"

Aang did not get much sleep that night.

* * *

It was not turning out to be Zhao's lucky day.

As Zhao head to his quarters to begin damage control from the Avatar's surprise visit to Crescent Island, he thought back to the devastating force of the Avatar and to Zuko's arrival on Crescent Island. Zhao linked his hands on his desk. When the sages announced that the Avatar had returned, the possibility of Zuko returning to claim the thrown is not something many in command of the Army, Navy, Marines, or Home Guard were pleased to think about. Zuko's conditional pardon should have been an impossible task to accomplish. Zhao saw Zuko depart from the temple on the back of the Avatar's Sky Bison, of that he was sure. He also knew that there should have been a way to still turn this series of events into his favor.

Zhao passed one of the guards who quickly stood aside and saluted as the commander passed. At any other time, this occurrence would have gone unnoticed by Zhao, but the presence of a crewmember caused Zhao saw that he had four immediate problems to deal with. First, he allowed the prince to cross into Fire Nation waters. Second, he had four traitor sages to deal with who also witnessed Zuko at Avatar Roku's temple. Third, the Avatar escaped beyond his reaches for the time being. Finally, the Dragon of the West and Zuko's ship were not tracked. He just had to figure out where that old fool went and he will likely find Zuko either in pursuit of or he has joined with the Avatar.

Upon arriving in his cabin, Zhao walked over to his desk and tore open the upper right-hand draw. He quickly withdrew a map of the region's currents. Zuko's ship, the Wani, was damaged after the hit it took from a flaming ballista. Zuko let that smoking hunk of junk continue on its path as his targets were headed in a different direction. Allowing Iroh to maneuver unchecked was a mistake. If he quickly dispatches two of the ships under his command to flag the areas to the north and west of the island the current was slow because of the clockwise current created island chain to the north-west. If his ships departed immediately, they may yet catch sigh of the Wani's smoke trail. Zhao still had ships to the north and east of the area where the Wani ran the blockade. If the Wani had circled to the north of Crescent Island and doubled back and headed directly east. There is a chance that the northernmost tip of the blockade will run across the wayward ship.

No matter what moves Zhao made at this point, some word of this incident will make it back to the Fire Lord without fail. He can remedy the most immediate communication problems by coercing many of the crew members aboard the Hōshō into stating the Avatar had overrun their fleet. Using the banished prince to follow the Avatar instead of wasting time engaging in a battle to arrest Zuko had been in the Fire Nation's best interest. The Avatar is the Fire Nation's greatest threat. He must be secured at any and all costs before he can master the four elements.

While doing battle with the Avatar, the wayward Prince actively used the firepower of the Avatar to cross back into the Fire Nation proper in pursuit. A little persuasion would be all it will take for the Fire Sages to give a testament recounting the Avatar's decimation of Ruko's temple. Their testament will prove to be beneficial in counteracting whispers of treachery and disloyalty to the Dragon Throne. Luckily, he has the physical proof of the young Avatar's prowess in the rubble that was once Roku's temple.

Fortunately for him, Zhao had worked his way up in the chain of command. He was the highest ranking officer overseeing the south-eastern blockade. His errors in judgment could be hidden as long as he moves with speed and precision. Zhao relaxed his shoulders a bit and sat down in the weighted chair anchored by his desk. Whether Zuko had joined with the Avatar or was still chasing him in hopes to redeem his "honor," the brat was becoming a threat in Zhao's plans for glory. The Avatar was the ultimate prize, his ticket to fame! As much as he is loath to admit it, Zhao could not afford to ignore Zuko any longer.

Keeping the Dragon of the West separated from his nephew for as long as possible will the easiest way to go about his objective. Iron must not have accompanies Zuko because he was not on the island. The remainder of the island was searched for any of Zuko's crew and only one engineer was found with the skiff following Ruko's wrath. The engineer has been interrogated and knows nothing of Zuko's plans. Unfortunately, Iroh will likely be persistent. There was only one thing that could stop the old man in his tracks.

Zhao reached into his desk and retrieved an inkwell, a pen, and a pack of parchment. With a goal clear in mind, Zhao began to write a black ribbon message.

Now that he thinks about it, Zhao can see a promotion in his future in spite of all other setbacks. For those who had not been present during the engagement, will be able to appear as though: he faced a force of nature and was able to prevent the loss of his crew. Disloyal sages had been captured, and he can provide valuable intel on the abilities and nature of the current Avatar. No matter the outcome, even if Zuko does reunite with Iroh, Zhao is sure that he will emerge the victor. He has an entire fleet of soldiers who were witness to Zuko breaking the terms of his banishment.

With a smile on his face, Zhao sealed his missive to the Fire Lord. Glancing out the porthole of his cabin, Zhao decided that he still had time in the day to gather the crew and begin spreading the tragic news throughout the fleet: Prince Zuko, in a noble effort to capture the Air Avatar, was apparently killed by Avatar Roku.

Exiting his cabin, Zhao leisurely walked to the bridge. "Captain, rally the crew for a meeting on deck at 2130 hours. Also, chart a course for the Shingu Port of Call, we will depart no later than 2200 hours."

 _Let's see what kind of bounty hunters we can find at this Port of Call._

* * *

 **A/N (Part 2):**

 **Reflections:** _**Katara loves to argue and Zuko does not think before he speaks.**_

 _ **The "Port of Call"**_ : The Port of Call that Iroh mentions in episode 9 is unnamed and I initially had no idea what to call it. I am using a mix of Japanese and Cantonese names for the Fire Nation people and locations. I am by no means a language expert so bear with me if I take inspiration from real-life locations when naming thing. I chose Shingu as the name of the port that the pirates are from. In the series, Aang, Sokka, and Katara practice by a tall waterfall. I think that the Horyu Waterfall near Shingu, Wakayama, Japan is what Sokka would consider a "nice puddle." Seriously people, look it up! The place is beautiful. It is not called "rainbow falls," but Aang seems like he would be interested in visiting a place with a moniker like that.

 _ **Aang's Dream**_ **:** If you can't guess, I took inspiration for Aang's dream from Season 1 Episode 12 _The Storm_. The last time Aang saw Kuzon and Bumi before the war might have only been a few weeks before Aang ran away from the Southern Air Temple. He doesn't realize how different the world is yet from what he knew just a short while ago. For these reasons, I have a headcanon where he gets the time period mixed up during random moments in the episodes between the Southern Air Temple and Season 1 Episode 12: _The Storm_. Aang moved on from most of his denial after seeing Gyatso in the Southern Air Temple. He knows the world is at war, but he doesn't understand what that means. He acknowledges that he is in a different time period during the events at the Southern Air Temple, but I do not think that he fully accepted it until much later when he confessed his thoughts to Katara. Living a life in the air temples and surrounded by monks have Aang a very peaceful, happy childhood. I don't think that he would even be able to fully process his situation until he is faced with the front lines and sees what war is and what it does.

 _ **Zhao's promotion:**_ We do not know in the series what caused Zhao to be promoted from Commander to Admiral. Seriously, why?

 _Thank you for all of the constructive criticism that you guys gave me after the last chapter. I thought over it and took it to heart. Let me know what you think of how this chapter faired compared to the first one._

 _Until Next Time,_

 **NinjaGhost1752**


	3. Fuel for the Fire

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender. It belongs to Nickelodeon and its respectful owners.**

* * *

At one point during the night, long before the sun rose, Aang guided Appa to land in a clearing five miles to the south Shingu. The clearing was surrounded by high cliffs and stationed at the base of a tall waterfall. Cool clean water poured from over the falls and formed a river below. The waterfall was situated about five miles inland. This made the cleaning even better to set up a temporary camp because it was out of the view of the shore.

Even though Appa is a flying bison that weighs ten-tons, Aang has practiced with Appa many times in the past on making near silent and smooth landings. That talent did wonders for Aang's desire for adventure. It was always so difficult to seek away from the monks. The acquired skill of making graceful landings has come in handy many times in the past and it certainly very handy now. There was one passenger that Aang was hoping would not wake up any time soon. With barely a shudder, Appa's six paws touched the ground and he slowly lowered himself to the ground.

Aang looked over his shoulder and hook in the sleeping forms of Appa's passengers. Katara was wrapped in a blanket cocoon near the front of the saddle where she was shadowed from the strongest air currents. Going around the saddle counterclockwise, Shyu was near the middle. Being a full-grown adult, he took up a fair bit of space on the left side of the saddle. Sokka was sprawled out in an awkward heap of limbs at the rear of the saddle. Momo was curled up at his side. Lastly, Zuko was laying with his back to the other travelers along the length of the saddle's right side. After watching the prince sleep for a few moments, Aang was relieved to realize that he had slept through the landing.

Aang glanced back to the rest of the sleeping forms when he realized Shyu had woken up. Shyu also looked around the saddle to observe the sleeping occupants. He sat up with very little noise.

Aang let out a sigh of relief and turned back around. He numbly let go of Appa's reigns and leaned back to rest his head against the bison's shoulders. The encounter with Roku left him very afraid. He needed to talk to Sokka and Katara about the visions as soon as possible. They both needed to know because he has to figure out what to _do_.

A rustle behind him pulled Aang from his musings. He looked up and saw Shyu motioning to the tree line. Aang silently Airbent himself and Shyu off of the sky bison. After walking what they deemed to be out of hearing distance, Aang faced Shyu.

"I'm sorry to wake you. I tried to be as quiet as I could. Is everything okay?" asked Aang.

"The landing was fine. In a way, it is fortunate that I woke up while your friends and the prince are still asleep. I needed to know how you planned on dealing with Prince Zuko in the morning."

"What do you mean?"

"I have heard tales of the prince. According to them, he is both brash and arrogant. I do not know if these things are true. However, one thing that I can confirm is that Prince Zuko has searched the world over looking for you. He was doing so for nearly three years. Zuko has plenty for wanting to capture you. If he was willing to infiltrate the Fire Nation while his banishment is not lifted, he will almost certainly not walk away now."

"He said that he would go to the nearest occupied territory and contact his uncle."

Shyu sighed at this reply and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Young Avatar, he said that because he believes that he can capture you quickly. I am relatively sure that he will head to the hold soon enough.

"So, what should I do?"

"I, myself, do not know the answer. We will likely have to fight."

"But, I don't want anyone to get hurt."

"I will do my best to see that that outcome does not happen. Tell me, what time do your friends normally wake for the day."

"I don't know, about an hour after dawn?"

"That is not good." Shyu gained a pensive expression. "Most powerful benders poses an intimate connection with their element. Firebenders in particular subconsciously sense when Agni's light reacts with their Chi at daybreak. Zuko will awaken then if not sooner. If he is anything like my youngest son was at that age, Prince Zuko will be on the attack as soon as he wakes up."

"I don't understand. Why does he keep attacking me? I have….had so many friends in the Fire Nation and I have never met anyone who hates me so much!" Aang was not angry, but he was hurt by Zuko's actions. "I'm the Avatar. I'm supposed to be helping people. I can't do that if he captures me."

"It is not my place to say anything about the prince's beliefs, his past, or his current circumstances. I do not think that prince Zuko hates you, but…Avatar Aang, what did the monks teach you about when two people believe that they are both right?"

"' _What one thinks is right is not always the same as what others think is right; no one can be always right_ ,'" Aang recited as if reading directly from a scroll. A frown formed on Aang's face and he looked to the ground beneath his feet as if it held all of the secrets of the universe. "So...Zuko is trying to capture me because he thinks that it is the right thing to do?"

"Precisely, what young minds are taught in the Fire Nation today is much different from one hundred years ago. Because Prince Zuko thinks that what he is doing is right, he will not stop in his quest unless a significant change in our situation occurs."

Aang felt his heart breaking. How could he help people if they didn't want him to?

Shyu must have noticed how their conversation was taking a toll on Aang. "I know that this may not help much, but there are many different kinds of people all over the world. Most in the Fire Nation would agree with Prince Zuko, but there are also quite a few people who are tired of this war and wish to see an end to the fighting. I will help you in any way I can." Shyu smiled.

Aang bowed to Shyu in the traditional fire nation style. "Thank you, Shyu. I am honored to have your help."

"I suppose that help now includes dealing with moody teenagers. Why don't you get some rest? I'll keep watch and alert you when Zuko wakes up."

"Are you sure that you'll be alright?" asked Aang with mild concern.

"My boy, I am a Fire Sage. That is a title not lightly distributed in my homeland. In addition, my late wife, Agni rest her, and I raised three sons and a daughter, two of which were benders." Shyu then adopted a wry look. "I'm pretty sure I can handle it."

* * *

A few hours later, the sun rose over the edge of the horizon. Ture to Shyu's words, Zuko's eyes snapped open. In less than a second, he had the Avatar within his sights. The Sky Bison was grounded. He lept to his feet and took a step towards the air nomad. Before he could take another, a concentrate, thin stream of fire rushed past his face.

On the ground, only a foot from the bison was the Fire Sage. He was in a low stance with his right arm extended diagonally to the ground. His left arm was perpendicular to the ground. Because he was on the ground on the bison's left side, Zuko did not see him and momentarily forgot that the sage was even there.

A controlled, steady stream of fire was being released from the sage's hand. Zuko was closer to the Avatar than Shyu, but the elder Sage would be able to launch his next attack before Zuko could change his stance.

"Not another step!" shouted Shyu. His shout was loud enough that it woke Aang, Karata, and Sokka.

Zuko had to risk it. He shifted his stance to call up a fire blast. The moment the flames started to leave his hand, they were being drawn away, upward into the sky. He tore his eyes to the left and saw that Shyu's position had changed as well his left arm was now extended directly upward.

 _He redirected the blast from over there?!_

Zuko had just barely enough time to leap off the right side of the bison and avoid the blast. Before he could turn around, he was knocked to the ground by a powerful gust of wind.

 _The Avatar_

"You just don't quit do you?!" cried the Avatar. The Air Avatar flew from his perch atop the sky bison's head. The Avatar charged with immense speed. The fan at the end of his staff was extended outward. Aang jumped into the air about a foot off the ground and spun his body. A wall of air was bent towards Zuko.

From his position on the ground, Zuko shifted his weight and spun his body. The added momentum and spiraling movement to the steam flames released from his feet were just enough to stop the Avatar's attack. Zuko vaulted from his hand onto his feet. His hands were smoking with burning energy, ready and waiting.

The Avatar spun his staff from his left hand to his right and stamped it into the ground upright. He assumed a neutral stance, neither poised to attack or defend. "You don't have to do this!" cried the Avatar. "Please, I just want to talk to you."

Zuko answered his plea with a volley of fire blasts. Left. Right. Left. Right. He punched out the flames as quickly as he could.

The Air Avatar used his left hand to force the staff to the ground. A burst of air left the Avatar's hands. Right. Left. Right. Left. Each blast of air met a burst of fire snuffing it out of existence.

Zuko changed his tactics and charged toward the Avatar. Just as he was about to release a blast from his right palm, he heard a whirling motion to his left. Zuko had heard that whistling sound once before and aborted his attack. With expert reflexes, he changed his running gait into a roll to avoid the boomerang aimed at his head.

Of to the side, Zuko heard an "awwwww, boomerang!" come from the peasant boy. Zuko would have sneered in triumph over that accursed weapon if he did not have a mounting problem on his hands.

The fight had lasted only a few seconds, but others were already joining the fight. Sage Shyu had rounded the bison and had reached the Avatar's side. The one-on-one battle had turned into a four-on-one and there would be no backup for Zuko. Zuko was beginning to have second thoughts about whether he could beat all of them and escape with the Avatar without serious injury.

"Your Highness," began Sage Shyu. "We ask you to please halt your attack. You are outnumbered and I do not wish to see anyone harmed today."

Zuko paused when Shyu addressed him. He looked at each of the people present. He met the eyes of Aang and Shyu. They were both confident and earnest.

"Why?! Why do you of all people address me with respect?" Zuko couldn't believe this cruel twist in fate. "You are a traitor of the Fire Nation. Why bother to pretend that you still care about the Fire Nation or honor the authority of the Dragon Throne? Why address me with respect when I have dishonored the Fire Lord and my country?"

"Because I know of the truth behind your banishment. You are a good person. You cared deeply about the Fire Nation and all its people. I respect you because of the respect that you showed for others three years ago. You spoke out against something you thought was unjust" Shyu drew in a shaky breath. "My second son, Takumi, was in the 41st Division. He would have been twenty-four next month."

Zuko felt as though he had been struck. The remaining flame went out in his hands. Never. _Never_ had anyone told him what happened to the 41st. Somewhere, in the back of his mind, he _knew_. He had hoped and prayed to Agni the hour before the match that they would be safe...

His outburst _did_ make no difference. He thought his words could save them from a cruel demise.

 _He truly was a fool back then._

Yet, he was being shown high respect even in banishment for his failure? His weakness? This was being given to him by a parent of one of the countless fallen soldiers. The more Zuko thought about the aftermath and the families...a lump grew in his throat. Zuko began to feel quite ill. These feeling must be wrong. The parent was a traitor. Did Shyu have the right? Zuko found that he could not answer.

It was too much, too confusing.

"Avatar Aang, remember what we talked about last night?" asked Shyu.

Zuko's attention was brought back to the situation he was in. _When did they talk?_ Zuko wondered. _Had Sage Shyu and the Avatar planned the counterattack?_

"I ask that we still let Prince Zuko remain free and help him to the nearest village occupied by Fire Nation forces, despite his attack. I trust that he will make no more moves now that we have proven that taking you will not come easily whilst you are surrounded by allies." The statement by Shyu left everyone in the clearing with gaping expressions. Everyone except the Avatar. "Furthermore, he is in a neutral area of the fire nation dressed in full military armor. Someone might get the wrong idea."

The water tribe siblings immediately began issuing protests. It was clear by the Avatar's furrowed brow that he heard the disagreements coming from his friends. The Avatar closed his eyes and took a breath to steady himself.

"Shyu, are you sure that we can trust him?" questioned the Avatar.

Shyu met Zuko's gaze again. There was no uncertainty in his gaze that Zuko could see as the sage replied: "Yes."

"Then, it's settled," Aang addressed Zuko directly. "As long as you do not try to attack me or my friends, we will take you to the nearest occupied village and we can part ways. Can you agree to that?"

Zuko felt very numb and dumbfounded at the turn of events. He was going to be helped by the enemy. He was at a loss for words, so he nodded his head in affirmation.

Zuko could not bring himself to care about the way the Avatar's face lit up in a beaming smile or that Sage Shyu looked proud of him. He was going to be a traitor, a real traitor, traveling with the enemy. He realized that he missed Uncle. When he wasn't saying a cryptic proverb, Uncle could always make these confusing situations seem so simple. Zuko couldn't wait to get back to his ship where things made sense.

* * *

Katara was upset and confused. When she is upset, she practices her waterbending. The pushing and pulling motions help calm her down. As on this moment, she had been pulling and pushing a small wave on and off the riverbank for nearly two hours. Aang and Sokka knew better than to come near her right now. She was furious with Aang. Ever since Aang had that first vision of the comet, he has made nothing but poor decisions that are repeatedly putting all their lives in danger.

 _Push. Pull. Push. Pull. Push. Pull._

Attempting to leave them in the village that the Hei Bai attacked.

 _Push_

The Fire Navy launching dozens of flaming rocks at them

 _Pull_

Sokka _falling off_ App and Aang dives them too close to the water for comfort to save her brother

 _Push_

Going into the fire nation

 _Pull_

Being attacked by the Sages

 _Push_

Being attacked by Firebenders and chained

 _Pull_

Roku destroying the temple with them still inside!

 _Push_

Zuko sneaking onto Appa

 _Pull_

Zuko attacking Aang

 _Push_

 _ **Aang agreed to protect Zuko even after he was just attacked**_

 _Pul-shing_

.

.

What? Oh.

The wave that Katara had been manipulating for a while was now an ice sculpture. She was so angry that she made ice. She just needs to calm down...easier said than done.

Katara sat at the edge of the bank and wrapped her arms around her knees. She watched as the water in the river flows down the stream. The sunlight made it shimmer. It was...pretty, but it brought her no comfort. This was all Zuko's fault... and Aang's.

The Fire Nation killed her mother. Sage Shyu did help save their lives. She was grateful to him. He believes wholeheartedly that _Zuko_ was a good guy. _Zuko_ , on the other hand, was outright dangerous. He was the enemy!

She still could not deny that there was more to the prince than what she first thought. He was a bad guy who might have done some good things in the past. What Zhao and Shyu and Zuko said were contradictory statements. Zuko was banished for doing a good thing? How does that even happen? What was the 41st Division? What did Zuko just shut down after hearing about it? Katara looked over to where the prince was sulking at the edge of their clearing following his defeat by Aang and Shyu.

Traveling with them didn't seem...right. It was her and Sokka who started their journey to the North Pole with Aang.

Aang and Sokka talked for a long time after the announcement was made. At first, Sokka shouted at Aang until he became winded about how you do NOT agree to travel with someone after they just attacked you. When Sokka lost some of his steam, it looked like Aang explained his side of the story. Sokka seemed to realize something and became very quiet and broody too. The weirdest part was that

Katara had wanted no part in listening to Aang's explanation at first. Now, she was a bit curious. If Sokka realized something that made him change his mind, it was huge. She couldn't take it anymore. She needed answers and she needed them _now._ Just as Katara stood from her seat along the riverbank to go search for Aang, she found that he was already approaching her.

"You have some explaining to do!" rounded Katara.

"Yeah, I kind of figured that" sheepishly replied Aang. "Before I talk to you about the deal with Zuko, I really, really need to talk to you, Sokka, and Shyu about the vision that I had at Avatar Roku's temple. It's very important and it cannot wait anymore."

Katara was still mad, but she could hear the urgency in Aang's voice. Her earlier worries about Aang's vision came back tenfold. She was still mad at him and might be for a while, but he needed them and wanted to open up a bit. She could give him that...for now.

* * *

Hundreds of miles away, a fourteen-year-old girl walked through a regal hallway. Her boots clattered against the black marble floor beneath her feet. The girl had an aristocratic look about her as she walked with purpose. She had been summoned from her training for an important announcement. It was a bit unnerving that the missive came from one of the more...composed servants. Still, she made sure that all of those who entered her domain knew absolute obedience and contain a healthy dose of fear towards her.

As the girl came to the end of the hall, two servants opened the ornate doors to the location in which she was summoned: the throne room of the Fire Nation palace. The girl immediately knelt before an ominous wall of flames.

"You sent for me, father" she stated in a relaxed tone.

"Yes, my daughter. I have received word from Commander Zhao of the Southern Blockade. He claims that your brother ran the blockade in full pursuit of the Avatar."

 _So, ZuZu is now a full-blown traitor._

Ozai spoke in a monotone voice. It lacked any compassion or sorrow for his deceased son. "The report goes on to say that Prince Zuko is presumed to have been killed in battle against the Avatar." The young woman smiled a ghost of a smile. "The temple in which he was facing against the Avatar was destroyed through a devastating force of manga bent by the projected form of Avatar Ruko. Witnesses claim that he was still inside when the building collapsed. They were unable to recover the body."

When Ozai began again, his voice was tinged with power-lust and ambition. He was openly smiling a cruel smile. "Now, the Air Avatar has raised his hand against the Fire Nation. Even in disgrace and in exile, Prince Zuko was still of royal blood. A hand against our country and our throne will not be tolerated. We will use this _tragedy_ to rally our troops. Intel from Commander Zhao's report marks his path as heading due north. That trajectory has placed his assumed destination, the Northern Water tTribe I want you to lead a battalion of Fire Nation soldiers and burn everything within their projected path from the east of the colonies to the ground."

Fire Lord Ozai paused for a moment before continuing in a warning tone. "Sozin's Comet will be upon us by summer's end. We do not want any...distractions. Make it known to all that anyone who dares aid the Avatar in any corner of the world will be dealt with swiftly and with much prejudice. I expect that you will depart in two days' time."

"It shall be done as you command," informed the girl.

"Then rise, Azula," replied the Fire Lord.

Azula rose with a form a grace achieved through years of discipline. She performed a flawless bow to her father and exited the chamber. The guards to the throne room saluted her as she passed. Taking note of their stiff posture, she knew they were afraid. The soldiers at her command will be...fresh meat for her to toy with.

 _This is going to be oh, so much fun._

* * *

 **A/N (Part 2): Yes, I did. Azula in Book 1.**

 **Reflections:**

 _ **The Air Nomad's Wisdom:**_ The quote that Aang used was by author Roy T. Bennett

 _This chapter is a bit shorter than the last one, but Chapter 4 will be pretty long._

 _I have gotten some questions about pairings and a few pairing requests. Right now, I am undecided. I am leaving nothing off the table until I have more of the end game of the story fully outlined. I am even considering pairings as unusual as [Jet, Jin] and [Zuko, Suki]. Let me know in the comments: What is your favorite pairing? Why? I promise nothing; but, who knows, you may give me an idea._

 _Until Next Time,_

 **NinjaGhost1752**


	4. High-Risk Traders

**A/N:** I'm sorry for the delay. There were several things that I had to research and review for this chapter.

Formatting update:

For the next couple of chapters, at least, I will use a section heading with a time stamp and location information at the start of each point of view section where a section break occurs. I also wanted to introduce this system before we have a lot of high energy movement from the group. For the overall storyline, this is the best place to do so.

The narrative of the story switches from members of the GAang to Zhao to Zuko to Iroh, etc. at points in ATLA Season 1 and in this fic. Because there are several narratives, location changes, concurrent storylines, and time skips in this chapter and later in this series, I thought for a long time about how I want to handle scene changes from now on. One thing that is lacking in the world of Avatar is a sense of time. What day is it? How long does it take to get from one place to another?

This change might be a bit jarring at first. It will most likely feel unnecessary right now. It may even pull you out of the immersion of the story for a moment, but I do have a reason for adding this mechanic when it comes to the story's continuity and understanding later events as impact one another.

The section heading format will be _(Day #, Time; Location)_. The marked "Day" is the number of days after Season 1 Episode 8: _Winter Solstice Part 2_ and the destruction of Roku's temple. I am used to using both 12 and 24-hour clocks on a regular basis. I apologize in advance to anyone used to the 12-hour time system and I will use 24-hour military time.

The last part of Chapter 3 with Aang and Katara occurred around 0900 hours of "Day 1" or (Day 1, 0900 hours, 5 miles South of Shingu)

.

The events in this new arch take the place of Season 1 Episode 9: _The Waterbending Scroll_.

.

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender. It belongs to Nickelodeon and its respectful owners.**

(Day 1, 0700 hours; Shingu)

Commander Zhao strolled through the docks of Shingu at a steady, brisk pace.

Zhao gazed from ship to ship docked at the ships moored in the harbor. No one stopped him or recognized him as was dressed in plain Fire Nation clothing with a hooded cloak covering his head. It was an outfit not too uncommon on the docks this morning as winter was beginning.

Nearly four dozen vessels were in the harbor at this point. Some were being repaired, some were being loaded for transport, and many were selling their wares and other acquired "curios."

Ah. Here is the vessel that he was looking for.

The ship in question was a small galleon with three masts flying red sails. It was the flagship of the Hóng Shī pirates. The band of renegades was known throughout the region of their wide variety of weapons experts. At the base of the gangplank stood one of the pirates. He was a gangly man with a nasally voice.

"Earth Nation, Fire Nation, Water Nation, so long as bargains are your inclination, you're welcome here. Don't be shy. Come on by!" The pirate noticed Zhao approaching the ship and rushed to meet him. I can tell by your gait that you are a man who knows what he wants and how to get it. You understand the finer things in life. Perhaps I can interest you in some fine curios?" questioned the pirate.

 _With an accent like that, the urchin must have_ some _roots in the Southern Lowlands near the Foggy Swamp._ _How... unsavory._

"At the moment, I am more interested in those bargains that you were speaking of. May I have a word with the captain of this ship?"

"Why of course! Right, this way." The pirate smiled an extended his hand towards the ship in a partial bow. Zhao ascended the gangplank and was intrigued by all of the unusual, and several valuable, relics aboard the ship. Acquiring some of them must have been no easy task. Off to one side of the room was a gold gilded casket righted in an open wooden crate. A collection of glazed terracotta vats caught his eye. The glaze had dulled over several hundred years, but the stylization and coloring were still exquisite. On the opposite side of the room, a display shelf was filled with antique, wooden medicine containers, metal helmets, and a finely carved statue of some apes species with ruby eyes. The jeweled creature appeared to stare into his very soul. It was quite...creepy. Many of these wears obviously came from one of the countless lost tombs from five eras ago. The medicine containers and other similar wares came healing huts, likely stolen. All forms of medicine are expensive these days. There is a war going on after all.

"Why, if my eyes do not deceive me, a Fire Navy Officer has boarded my boat. To what do I owe the honor" asked a man from the shadows.

Commander Zhao turned and met the eyes of his old friend, "Captain Jiang, still 'high-risk-trading' I see." The pirate stood as cocky as always. The ever-present Secretary-Iguana-Parrot squawked at him. The blasted bird was still testy as ever with strangers. Good.

"Captain Zhao, what brings you to this part of the world?" greeted the pirate.

"It's Commander now. I have a task for you and your crew if you are up for it."

"With such a lofty position, I'm sure you can afford to make it worth my while."

"Certainly, I would never dream of cheating the man whose crew successfully escorted me to my quarry five years ago."

"Wan Shi Tong's library. I'm glad my map and crew could be of service."

"I did my homework. I first hear of your crew plundering a vast number ancient tombs. When looking for a lost, ancient library of the Earth Kingdom, the scrolls that you looted were my best bet. I was not disappointed. Further research into my findings has proven most...beneficial to me."

"Had I known it was real, I would have charged you ten times the amount you paid. Still, the scrolls that you smuggled out have made me a fortune."

Zhao straightened and clasped his hands behind his back, a neutral military poster. "As for my commission, I ask that your crew assassinate a certain young man, a teenager. He is a Firebender with a burn scar over his left eye. I believe that he is within the general area traveling with three children and an elderly man."

"Heh, Commander Zhao, I am in the business of high-risk trading. The only way to make it in this business is if you have a vast, reliable information network. After all, it would do me no go to collect all of this merchandise without any prospective buyers to sell it to. I hear gossip from around the world. A string of interesting tales has come to this harbor. Tales of the banished Prince of the Fire Nation at odds with his distant cousin, a newly decorated naval captain. I know of your vendetta against the prince. You're envious of the power that he held, of the power he may yet regain. I can get you the boys head within the day if he is spotted within a hundred miles from here in any direction. However, if my crew is to be involved in such a high profile assassination, I expect a very handsome bounty."

"Oh, I will be sure to make it worth your while," Zhao smirked.

* * *

(Day 1, 0710 hours; somewhere in the Western Sea)

"General Iroh, you have been waiting out here all night. Sir, you should come inside and rest." General Iroh and a graying officer stood on the deck of the Wani.

"Thank you, Captain Jee, for your concern. I think I will wait a bit longer. Let me know when we make port at Guăngzhōu in the Earth Kingdom. I have faith that my nephew will meet us there."

Captain Jee sighed. "Sir, would you like for the cook for brew some Jasmine tea."

Iroh gave a small smile. "Thank you, Jee. That would be much appreciated."

Captain Jee gave a bow and headed below deck. A group of crew members of all ranks was standing at the base of the stairwell leading to the ship's deck. They all gazed at Captain Jee expectantly.

Jee could feel his age coming on him. He did not care about the prince in the slightest, but he respected General Iroh. Now, crew abandoning their posts for some news on the General. He had grown on them all over the course of their time together aboard the Wani.

"Well...?" began the First Mate.

"How is he?" asked a Private.

"He is not well, I'm afraid. The kid should have been back by now. The Idiot Prince has left General Iroh deeply troubled again. This incident is the worst yet. Tell the cook to prepare General Iroh some Jasmine tea at once." The Private saluted and started towards the galley. Addressing the rest of the crew Captain Jee ordered: "To your posts, the lot of you!" The rest of the remaining observers quickly departed.

Captain Jee looked to the approaching Head Engineer. "Status report on the engine damage," Jee commanded.

The Engineer saluted before making his report. "Sir, the turbines of Engine Room 1 and all equipment of Fire Room 1 are a total loss. Several Fire Doors in Fire Room 2 were damaged and rendered inoperable. Engine Room 2 sustained little damage. However, too little heat is being produced by Fire Room 2's remaining furnaces to effectively utilize the intact engines."

Jee cursed under his breath. There was a reason why this model of ship was discontinued decades ago. The Engine Rooms and Fire Rooms of the Wani and other ships like her were too close together. One hit can leave you crippled or dead in the water.

"Sir, we can only continue at Quarter Speed at best until we make port and can acquire replacement parts," replied the Head Engineer. "With your permission, I would like to send word for a holding to be reserved for dockside repair."

"Granted." Jee pursed his lips in thought. The Wani had just cleared Fire Nation waters, but there was still the risk of coming across a stray Fire Navy ship looking for them. They were still too close to the waters of the Fire Nation Proper. "Our heading for Guăngzhōu, what is our estimated time of arrival based on the engine's current condition?"

"At the rate, we're going, it will take about three days to reach Guăngzhōu. Please forgive the insolence, but wouldn't it make sense to go to Shingu for repair and then head the last sixty-five miles north to Guăngzhōu with a reliable engine? The current along the coast flows from the north, it will be almost directly against us."

"If the repairs were less extensive, I would agree. Unfortunately, Shingu has become a pirate haven over the last decade. I do not want trouble when we dock. If we were placed under attack, the ship and crew could be in trouble."

"My subordinates and I will do everything we can to see the ship docked expediently; however, minute damage to Fire Room 2's furnaces may yet make itself known and cause further delay."

"Very well, I will inform the General... after a cup of tea is brewed for his nerves." The Head Engineer saluted before departing back down the hall. Captain Jee relaxed his stance a bit and looked towards the flickering light from one of the hall's many oil lamps. Damn. He really was getting too old for this.

"I hope you return safe kid, wherever you are, for the General's sake."

* * *

(Day 1, 1100 hours, 5 miles south of Shingu)

"You guys expect me to make a plan, that's a lot of pressure!" exclaimed Sokka. After Aang had explained to Katara about the comet and his vision, the two approached Sokka for an idea of what to do next. He had been thinking of one ever since he spoke to (ranted at) Aang earlier.

Sokka sighed and massaged his forehead. His talk with Aang earlier had given him a bad migraine. He was happy that Aang had at least managed to placate Katara for the time being. "Okay. To recap, Aang just needs to master three more elements by next summer."

"I haven't even started waterbending and we are still weeks away from the North Pole!" Aang grabbed his head with both his hands. With a frustrated shout, Aang lept to his feet and started pacing.

"That just means that we need to get to the North Pole as quickly as possible. That means, no more field trips, no more riding hopping llamas or giant koi fish," Sokka shrugged.

"Aw man," replied Aang. He dropped to the ground and crossed his arms. It was such a childlike reaction that had Sokka hoping that Aang will take this Avatar stuff seriously. Probably. Most likely. Maybe.

"If you want, I can try to teach you some of the stuff I know" offered Katara.

"Really? You would do that?" asked Aang. Aang's mood swings from Happy to angsty and back to Happy were giving Sokka a whiplash.

"Sure. We even have a nice stream to practice with. The water in the river moves at a steady pace but not too fast. It's pretty easy to work with."

"Great! Let's go start now!" Aang turned to head to the river.

"Hold it!" exclaimed Sokka. "You guys are both forgetting something. We have the Angry Jerk with a Pony Tail and Shyu. What do we do about them?"

"Well, we're going to drop Zuko off right? And, Shyu's offered to come with us" replied Aang.

Sokka and Aang did talk through a lot of things earlier. Their views on Zuko was one of them. It took a long, long time, but Aang finally convinced him that they owed it to Zuko to make sure he got back to his uncle safely. They did sort of kidnap him when they came to the Earth Kingdom instead of heading for Zuko's ship.

"Look Aang, even if Shyu wants to come with us it won't be that simple. He will need to get some earth kingdom clothes. If we want to avoid a lot of the Fire Nation, then we will have to travel inland or overseas with short breaks in densely wooded areas. With either option, I don't want us to be attacked by the Earth Kingdom's army when we are out of the Fire Nation controlled territory. We need to get extra supplies in town: clothes, bedding, and medical supplies. Let's go before some of the traders' market's close for the day."

"Okay, let's..." began Katara.

"Someone needs to stay with Zuko" cut in Sokka.

"What?!" exclaimed Katara. "Don't you think that's a bit dangerous?"

"Not really. On his own, he could torch our stuff or arrange a lot of pitfalls or feed Appa poisoned purpleizing tongue berries! No, someone needs to watch him at all times." Sokka pulled a map from one of his packs. "The map that the villagers gave us in the village that the Hei Bai was attacking also marks the location of the territory occupied by the Fire Nation. I studied the map and we are still miles south from most of the Fire Nation's colonies. Zuko shouldn't have any allies here. He's crazy, but not stupid...I think?" Sokka hated this uncertainty. The group might be divided up no matter what he did. "Katara. You and Aang should go into town. We used up our burn ointment on Shyu. Since we are up against Firebenders, we need to replace our supply and fast. We will likely see more firefights the farther north we go and the closers we get to the front lines. The point is, I don't know anything about medicine, but you do."

"I know a bit, but not enough to tell whether the medicine is any good of not" admitted Katara.

"What about Shyu?" asked Aang.

Katara adopted a grumpy look on her face. "What about him?"

"He said that he could use his bending to treat burn patients. He may know a little about medicine for burns too" replied Aang.

Sokka had to relent to that point. Of the people here that would know about burn treatment that only included Katata, Shyu, and – maybe – Zuko. "As much as I hate to admit it, Aang's right. Between you and Shyu, we could likely get some decent medicine." Sokka put his hand to his chin and thought for a moment. When the beginnings of a plan started to form in his mind, Sokka smiled and snapped his fingers. "Alright, I got it! I can go into town and get Shyu some Earth Kingdom clothing. He can change and then you and Shyu can go to the market and get medicine."

"And what are you going to be doing?" questioned Katara.

"Aang and I can stay here and watch Zuko after I return from the market. It is only five miles, so it won't take me to long to get there and back"

"I think it is just a bad idea for you and Aang to stay here with Zuko by yourselves."

"Then what do you want us to do? Bring him into town?"

"Why not?" asked Aang.

"What do you mean: 'Why not?' It just has the words BAD IDEA written all over it!" Sokka threw up his arms in frustration. "Who knows what Zuko could do if we let him loose in town?"

"Aang, I have to agree with Sokka on this one. Zuko is dangerous."

"Well, we don't even know where Zuko's Uncle is. How are we supposed to get him back to his ship?"

Sokka raised a finger and started to object, but found that he couldn't. "That's...a good point." It looks like they'll have to interrogate the Angsty Jerk with a Ponytail. Sokka glanced by the tree line to check on the jerk in question.

Zuko was lounging below against a large tree root. Sokka could tell by the way the fingers of his crossed arms were digging into his biceps that he was impatient and on high alert waiting for another chance to attack. Ever since his outburst this morning, Zuko had been quiet.

Sokka noticed that Zuko had taken off the armors' breastplates, forearm bracers, and the padded sash from around his waist. Zuko's armor must have been uncomfortable. It was weird to see him like this, somewhat unguarded.

His royal jerkiness was dressed in the clothes that he wore below his uniform: a turtle-duck neck length light burgundy shirt with an outer tunic shirt of a darker hue and pants the same color as the long-sleeved garment, and his uniform's boots. The clothes looked plane but were warm enough for the cool early winter air.

They were definitely Fire Nation clothes.

"Actually, we need a set of clothes for Zuko too."

"Why?"

"We _have_ to go into a town with him at some point when we need to resupply. There is just too much stuff that we need to get on a regular basis for one person to carry. We went from three people who eat to five. We already have to restock on our food at least once every four days. The main thing that I am concerned with is securing enough fresh water to last us when we go a day or two without coming across a town."

"Aren't you being a bit paranoid? We aren't going to be with him for _that_ long."

"I don't know when we will be able to get rid of the Angry Jerk. We don't know where in the world his ship is. We could be stuck with him for a while. Until then, someone might recognize that the boots and uniform's undergarments he's wearing really are a part of a Fire Nation soldier's uniform. It may raise some questions that I'm sure we don't want to answer. It would be like me walking around in my warrior's tunic or wearing my war paint. It's too recognizable to those who have worked with the military or fought against them. If we try to go to the Earth Kingdom controlled towns, we don't want people to know that Zuko is Fire Nation and attack us too. It might give Zuko an opportunity that we cannot afford. The clothes he's wearing now will be fine when we get to a Fire Nation occupied town where he will be safe."

"I just hate that we are wasting money on him."

"We still have plenty of money that King Bumi gave us. It will last us well until we get to the North Pole so it wouldn't be too much trouble. He only has the clothes that were below his armor. It'll be fine. The only hard part will be convincing the Angry Jerk to wear them."

This should be as _fun_ as sitting through one of GranGran's lectures.

* * *

( Day 1, 1330 hours; near Shingu)

Zuko was _not_ having a good day. "Why am I here again?" Zuko grumbled under his breath. The Avatar was literally walking five feet away from him and he couldn't do a thing about it, _Fire_ Sage Shyu now donned Earth Kingdom clothes, and he was miles from his ship!

He lied when they attempted to interrogate him about where he was going to meet up with Uncle. If he claims that he never arranged with Uncle where to meet up, he can delay them. If he can then contact Uncle Iroh, they will be able to set up an ambush for the Avatar. There will be nowhere left to run. The only problem is the person that is walking between him and the Avatar. If Shyu can redirect his flames from yards away – he still needs to find out _how_ Shyu did that – and create fire from any point on his body, he can render Zuko to just basic hand-to-hand combat. The Avatar who can run like the wind versus himself without bending is not a good match at all.

Zuko glanced to his left where the former sage walked between him and the Avatar. Shyu now wore light brown trousers, a no-sleeved long green tunic, and a long-sleeved light tan shirt underneath. His sleeves were pinned by dark brown bracers on his forearms. The sight of green clothes on a member of the Fire Nation, even a possible traitor, was just...wrong.

At first, Zuko vehemently denied the idea of getting a spare change of clothes when the peasants first mentioned it until Sokka noticed that his clothes were filthy with sweat and debris from the collapsing building yesterday. Worse, the peasant pointed the fact out loud in front of everyone. The entire group laughed at his embarrassment. Laughed!

He did return the insult in kind. Zuko smirked at the fact that Sokka was now nursing a black eye.

It would have been fine if not for the fact that he still had two problems. First, he had never done laundry before, so he didn't know what to do other than soak the clothes in the river. That would still leave him with no clothes until they were dry. It was embarrassing that the _water tribe peasant_ had cleaner clothes than he did. Second, even if he _did_ try to clean them, he would be walking around mostly naked until they dried. As confident Zuko was in his Firebending, he never attempted to clean the finer control needed for things like drying something without setting it on fire. He now was reduced to wearing black trousers, a washed-out green long-sleeved shirt, a black tunic top with brown trim and frog knots the same color as the shirt, brown shin wrappings, and a brown sash. The brown leather sandals surprisingly fit, so that was good. It still didn't change the fact that they were brown and the frog knots on the shirt were green.

Never will he admit this out-loud, but he didn't mind the clothes that the water tribe peasant had gotten for him _too much_. It's like Sokka still took the time to pick out something that Zuko wouldn't outright hate. The colors weren't...terrible. It still didn't change the fact that the peasants laughed at him earlier, but it made him feel a bit guilty about the black eye. Even so, all of the humiliation that Zuko had faced today left him in a foul mood. The minute they were within range of his ship the Avatar and his friends will still pay.

As they approached the town, Zuko was brought from his musings. It had...seen better days. Many of the buildings were plain with poorly patched roofs. There were so many different kinds of people! Everyone was wearing all sorts of different colors and styles of clothes. One man was holding up a begging man with a mask over his face, a would-be thief by the looks of it. In front of a food vendor, a man in red was missing his right arm and eating from a plate with chopsticks in his left. From the way he was holding them, he had not had much practice. A man dressed in blue was causing a scene by standing on a stall's counter. He was asking if anyone was "brave enough to look into this bag." The look from the apparent guards donned in blue and swords caused Zuko to look forward again. They were giving him pitying looks at his scar.

Zuko hated pity.

Sokka, Katara, and Shyu went from shop to shop getting what they needed. They reviewed the practicality of everything they bought. The Avatar's companions weren't total idiots after all.

The Avatar was.

He had the attention span of a Butterfly Sparrow, flitting from place to place. He was also highly impulsive.

"I couldn't say no to this whistle," said Aang when Katara asked what he was playing with. It was a whistle shaped like a Sky Bison.

Of. Course.

Though why someone would make Sky Bison whistles was beyond him.

Shyu was just...odd. He and one of the shopkeepers acted like they were speaking a foreign language that only they could understand. Like Uncle, he randomly talked about Pai Sho and flowers. Were all old people weird like that? If so, he was not looking forward to that. At least Shyu was not obsessed with hot leaf juice.

After a few minutes, the group came to the stores that were selling medical supplies. Aang and Sokka waited outside while Katara and Shyu did their shopping.

Sokka turned to him. "All right. Now, we can go to the post office across the street and you can send a letter sent out to your uncle"

"Hey, genius. I already told you that I don't know where he is" retorted Zuko.

"Yeah, I know. However, the last vendor told me that his place has Blood Hawks. They can track a person for hundreds of miles" informed Sokka.

"Wow, that's amazing!" said Aang.

"Like that is going to help. I don't have anything with Uncle's scent on it" Zuko remarked.

"No, but we have you!" Sokka proudly proclaimed.

"Huh?" He may have to reconsider how intelligent Sokka actually is. He is making no sense.

"We can have the hawk track your scent back to your ship and then your Uncle will find the letter. It's perfect" Sokka explained.

"Nice thinking Sokka" cheered Aang.

 _Uh oh. This was not good._

"Would that even work?" Zuko replied.

 _They can't know where I'm going to meet Uncle. I need to ambush them when their guard is down._

"Wouldn't the hawk just come straight to me?" asked Zuko.

"It might, but if we send it off again once it has come to you, it will go to the next place with your strongest scent" replied Sokka.

"My ship." Zuko felt that the universe must hate him.

Sokka and Aang started to walk past Zuko and towards the mail post. He had to think of something quickly. Zuko started to turn and took a half of a step forward.

"Sok—"

Zuko would have said more, but at that moment he was too stunned. The tip of an arrow was protruding through his left bicep.

* * *

( Day 1, 1442 hours; Shingu)

As Sokka hear Zuko beginning to address him, he heard a tearing sound behind him. Zuko made a choking sound.

Sokka and Aang whirled to face the prince. The first thing he saw was the arrow sticking out of Zuko's arm. The second was the archer crouched on the roof behind Zuko with a second arrow already knocked.

Zuko was stock still. He looked like he was in too much shock from the injury to even breathe!

"Get down!" cried Sokka. He tackled Zuko to the ground just as the archer loosed the arrow from his bow. The boys fell to the ground in a tangled heap of limbs. Zuko let out a scream from jarring the arrow in his injured arm.

Knocking Zuko to the ground might have been extremely painful for Zuko, but Sokka moved not a moment too soon. The steel fletching from the arrow had still passed so near the prince's face that a thin ribbon of blood trickled down the unscarred portion of Zuko's left cheek. The arrow pierced deeply into the ground a few feet away. That was intended to be a kill shot.

Aang was already on the move riding on an air scooter riding towards the shooter. Aang bent a gust of wind at the archer that cause the archer to lose his footing. It looked like Aang would dispatch the guy pretty quickly until a whip with a weight on the end sailed through the air towards Aang. He quickly bent a sphere of air around himself, knocking the projectile to the side. Four men appeared from around the neighboring buildings.

This wasn't a random attack, it was an ambush!

One of the men carried a pair of sickles, another carried a spear, a third attacker carried the weighted whip, and the final attacker wielded a pudao.

Sokka began trying to haul the prince to his feet. The pain in Zuko's arm must have kicked in because the teen was not very responsive. Zuko face was contorted with pain. The prince also maintained a white-knuckled grip on the area just above the arrow. If he keeps that up, he will make the wound worse!

"Come on we've got to go!" Sokka shouted.

Sokka glanced back up to the rooftop. Aang had broken the archer's bow, so there would be no more arrows. However, the guy with the whip was now attacking Aang. One stroke of the weapon passed dangerously close to Aang and smashed some wooden tiles of the roof of the building Katara and Shyu had gone in.

"Aang! We've got to get out of here!" Unfortunately, Aang was having a tough time against three of the attackers.

Sokka had successfully hauled Zuko to his feet. Sokka then stepped forward between the ambusher and Zuko. The guy with the pudao lunged at Sokka. He was able to successfully dodge to his right.

Without a second's pause, the attacker abruptly switched targets. By pivoting on his right foot, the attacker transitioned into a low attack aimed at Zuko's legs. Zuko tried to jump back, out of harm's way. Unfortunately, Zuko's reaction time was off as he was still recovering from shock. He now bore a semi-shallow cut down his right thigh.

Sokka was in a bind. The guy was too good for him to protect himself and Zuko. Aang was holding his own against his opponents. He still hated the prince, but Zuko was too injured to fight. Sokka led, nearly dragging, Zuko by his right arm down the street. Sokka lead them through alleyways and around vending stands. Sokka and Zuko raced through the town towards the exit that would lead towards the forest. Whenever Sokka came by an object that was not too big, heavy, or nailed down, he threw it behind his towards their pursuer. Even injured, the boys were faster than the guy with the pudao. Any hit that Sokka could get in was a plus. After turning a sharp corner, Sokka dragged Zuko through the open doorway of a building. The guy with the pudao ran right past them.

They leaned up against the interior wall of the building panting heavily. After a moment, Sokka looked over at Zuko. The prince looked pretty bad. The arrow wound was bleeding freely and the leg with the gash in it had minute tremors coursing through it. Sokka did not want to leave Aang and Katara, but Zuko looked like he might pass out soon. Gritting his teeth, he braced himself to go out there again.

"Thanks," said Zuko.

"What?" Sokka almost had to do a double take. Zuko was thanking him?

Zuko was carefully studying every grain and groove in the wood floor of the shed.

"You...if you hadn't pushed me out the way...thanks."

"Oh...you're welcome. Let's get back to camp and away from these guys."

Zuko was still breathing heavy, so he only nodded. He took a few deep breaths to calm his breathing.

Sokka peered around the doorway and saw that the coast was still clear. He motioned for Zuko to follow him. They bolted out the door and down a few more streets. Finally, the village exit was in sight.

Suddenly, two new ambushers appeared from an alley near the front entrance, cutting off their path of escape.

 _Seriously?! Who are these guys?!_

The attacker on the left carried a naginata and the attacker on the right carried two tantō short swords. Neither of their attackers had ranged weapons. Good.

The naginata was a polearm, so the weapon had more range so that one needed to be taken out first. Sokka removed the boomerang from the holster on his back to parry the long ranged weapon. Sokka threw boomerang a few feet up and to the left of the naginata's wielder.

"Ha! You're aiming's a bit off, boy" laughed the attacker.

"Nah. I don't think so," Sokka smirked as the boomerang came around and hit the guy on the back of the head. The man dropped like a ten-ton boulder. Sokka caught the boomerang but was slow to move back into a defensive stance. He didn't even have a minute to spare as the man with the tantō was rushing toward him.

Sokka didn't have enough time to turn. Luckily, Zuko had seen the coming strike from the second attacker and punched out a blast of fire with his right arm. It was very weak, but it was enough to allow for Sokka to regain his bearings. It was now two against one. No, it was still one-on-one. Zuko got a shot off, but Sokka didn't think that they'd get that lucky a second time. Worse, it was back to one-on-one while he had to protect Zuko.

Sokka glanced toward Zuko and saw that his left arm was bleeding pretty badly. Looks like Zuko got a redshirt after all.

"This isn't good. Where are Katara and the others?" wondered Sokka.

* * *

 **A/N (Part 2): That evil cliff hanger...you're welcome :-)**

 **Reflections:**

 _ **Zhao and the Pirate Captain:**_ How did Zhao even GET to Wan Shi Tong's library? Who escorted him to the Si Wong Desert across enemy territory? Omashu and Haru's village to the west were not taken over by that point! Where did he find the location of the long lost Library's location within the Earth Kingdom?

 _ **Zhao as Zuko's distant relative:**_ Zhao was only a captain, if that, at the time of Zuko's Agni Kai. He wasn't a high ranking military official, so...why was he there? He must be a Noble to attend the Crowed Princes' Angi Kai in the royal palace. I began thinking about Zuko's history with Zhao. I realized that we never got an explanation as to why they hate each other. Zhao is power hungry, but why would he go out of his way to antagonize Zuko. It is easy to do, but there always seemed like there should have been more to it. Zhao is a Commander with many soldiers under his control. He has been promoted to Commander, yet he still feels threatened by the _banished_ prince. He even begs a General to let him use the Yu Yan Archers to go after the Avatar. Why is he so invested in beating Zuko?

Then, I looked at a picture of Zhao at the Agni Kai on Google Images to see what expression he was making when Zuko was burned. Neutral? Excited? Triumphant? What would give me more insight into their background? I also realized for the first time that he is standing right next to Iroh and Azula...Iroh and Azula...General Iroh and Princess Azula. This is a public event in which the authority of the royal family is on display, so why isn't Iroh and Azula be surrounded by the highest ranking noblemen and military officials? How high up in nobility is Zhao?!

Now, I have a headcanon where Zhao is Zuko's jealous distant cousin (3rd or 4th) who is a little way down the line of succession (8th or 9th maybe?). It would also give an explanation as to why Zhao is so power hungry. He could think that it is unfair that he was born to a side branch of the royal family and that his line should have ruled the Fire Nation. Being so close to having the most powerful position in the world and never being able to obtain it would be infuriating to him.

 _ **Damage to Zuko's ship:**_ I did a bit of research into the layout of coal powered steam engines for this chapter. It was interesting to see the kind of damage that a flaming bolder can do to just the right spot on an old ship. Looks like Iroh is limping to the Earth Kingdom behind the others. How was Zuko able to track them when they had to stop for repairs and when he and Iroh had to walk back to the ship? There are several things in canon that should have delayed Zuko a lot more than it did. Even including Appa resting every night. I can understand that while Aang and the others went on foot during The Great Divide, Zuko had the opportunity to catch up.

 _ **Guăngzhōu:**_ It is a harbor town that I am placing on the peninsula about four miles to the south of the Pohuai Stronghold.

 _ **Zuko's Outfit:**_ It is the same outfit that he wore on his date with Jin. That is as minimal green and brown of an Earth Kingdom outfit that I could think of.

 _ **Shyu's Outfit:**_ This was a bit difficult. I had to come up with a design that would look respectable elderly earth kingdom resident that still allowed for combat. His outfit would be a green and brown version of Master Yu's black and white design.

 _ **The Pirates weapons:**_ I switched one of the pirates from a longsword wielder into an archer. In the series, we see the pirates use a net from launchers. To capture Aang and Sokka. With the amount of close-combat fighters that are in the pirate crew, it would be nice to have at least one pirate that is proficient with a bow.

 _At over 5,000 words, this is the longest chapter that I have written to date. I had considered stopping after Zuko was shot. I even started Sokka's point of view for the beginning of the next chapter, but I couldn't be that cruel. Next chapter, we get to see the rest of the GAang in action!_

 _Be sure to leave a review and let me know what you think of the section headings._

 _Until Next Time,_

 **NinjaGhost1752**


	5. Medicine and Mayhem

**A/N:** Thank you guys for sticking with this story. The positive reviews and PMs have really helped keep me going these last few days. My overall health is very poor due to an accident I had a few years ago and I was in a lot of pain this week. Again, thank you all!

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More pirate fun...enjoy!

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 **Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender. It belongs to Nickelodeon and its respectful owners.**

* * *

(Day 1, 1437 hours; Shingu)

It may have taken a while but Katara was happy that they had finally found the medicinal store. The fact that Shyu was accompanying her hardly could dampen her mood right now.

As soon as she stepped through the door, Katara was enveloped in the heavy scent of drying herbs. To her right, there was a long wall filled with jars of different unrefined herbs. To her, left an elderly man sat on a tall stool behind the counter. He was a relatively short man with a long beard. He was wearing an olive green robe. The apparent shopkeeper was in the process of grinding some herbs with a mortar and pestle. Behind the merchant was a wall filled with row after row of labeled wooden draws.

"Welcome, feel free to look around and I'll be with you two in just a moment" greeted the shopkeeper.

"Thank you," replied Katara. She began to browse over the unusual items contained within. From enormous mushrooms to pig-deer antlers, the oversized jars contained a little bit off everything. There were even turtle duck shells.

Katara noticed that Shyu was staring at one jar in particular. It was winged-snakes suspended in an amber liquid. I wasn't just one jar like that, it was several. Gross. "You know..." began Shyu, "I have been to a few healing huts in my day, but I have never seen anything like this before. How is this even medicinal?" His face looked a bit pale.

The elderly shopkeeper began chuckling. Shyu looked abashed for a moment. Katara realized that Shyu hadn't meant to speak out loud.

"My apologies. I meant no disrespect," Shyu bowed to the man but he kept his hands firmly at his side.

"That is quite alright, son." The shopkeeper smiled at the two. "I'm guessing you've never dunk winged-snake wine before."

"People drink that?!" exclaimed Katara.

"Of course, it is good for healing skin ailments. By your clothes, I see that you aren't from around here miss." The shopkeeper made a sweeping motion with his right hand. "This is a trading village and we have many sailors make port here from all over the world. We are similar to Kyoshi in that we are trying to stay out of the war the best we can so members of both the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom will trade here. Earth Kingdom vessels from as far south as Whale Tail Island and Kyoshi Island will make their way here. However, we also will receive ships from the Eastern Earth Kingdom on occasion." The man began to stroke his long beard. "I have found most sailors to be too hardheaded for their own good and stay on board their ship for too long." The old man shook his head. "They end up eating too few fruits and that causes sores all over the body, but even after eating fruits they do not allow themselves time for their skin to heal hence the abundance of winged-snake wine." The old man heaved a sigh. "The best thing that I can do is load them up with a few cases of snake-wine, dried limes, and give them a stern warning."

Katara had learned a bit about healing from GranGran, but this was interesting. She had grown up surrounded with the illness that comes from poor diet. The polar winters can make it difficult to find fresh vegetation. Her father and the other men used to make an annual voyage up to Kyoshi Island at the start of winter for greener vegetables. As much as she wished that she could, Katara knew that she couldn't live off of stewed sea prunes forever.

"Anyway, what can I do for you and your...granddaughter?" he trailed off in question.

"Oh, we not kin, just acquaintances and a part of the same traveling group of refugees. We are headed north around the Great Divide and then East to Ba Sing Se," replied Shyu.

Katara had never heard of these places, but she kept a smile on her face. She that Shyu knew what he was talking about.

The merchant grew somber. "Safe travels to you, friend."

"We are looking to stock up on some medical supplies."

"Understandable."

"I see where your friend's arm is bandaged. The gauze is pretty thick."

"Yes, I had an unfortunate cooking accident and burned my arm. I was hoping to get some replacement."

"...and some ginger root," injected Katara. At Shyu's puzzled look she added, "My brother looks like he has been having a headache since yesterday, but he is too stubborn to say anything while in the company of...others." Katara grew uncomfortable at the reference to Zuko. She hated how he seemed to haunt even her thoughts.

"Well, that certainly won't be a problem." Katara snapped from her thoughts. She must have zoned out for a moment. The old man moved behind the counter and opened two of the drawers along the wall. From one, he retrieved a small porcelain jar and from the other, he retrieved a handful of roots. The old man set the small jar on the counter proceeded to weigh the root on a balancing scale. Once he was satisfied with the amount, he placed the contents into a paper sack. "That will be two silver pieces and two copper ones."

"Wow. That is a lot more than I thought it would be."

"Because of all the wounded soldiers across the earth kingdom, quality materials to make a proper cream are becoming scarce."

"I see," replied Katara as she handed the money to the merchant. The merchant handed her the paper parcel with a smile.

Katara placed the package in the bag over her shoulder and turned to Shyu. They started to walk towards the front entrance.

"Alright let's..." A loud crash echoed from the top of the roof.

Katara never got a chance to finish what she was going to say because an assailant broke through the back door. He began running through the shop right towards them!

The assailant slashed out his long sword and slashed it in a horizontal stroke. "Out of my way!" cried the attacked.

Shyu dropped below the sword and spun low to the floor. He hooks the front of the man's right ankle with his left. The resulting impact left to attacker landing heavily on his side. Shyu punched down towards the man's head, but the attacker just rolled out of the way. Katara and Shyu tensed when they heard a scream from outside. It sounded like Zuko. Wait, was that Sokka too? This is not good. Sokka and Aang might be in danger!

The swordsman clearly intended to join whatever commotion was going on outside. Judging from the way he broke down the apothecary's door and tried to slash them without a second thought led Katara to only one conclusion. He was not someone that would only cause Aang and her brother even more through. They needed to take this guy down and quickly.

Katara looked around the shop for some water and saw a full bucket by the back door. Se rooted her legs right forward and left behind at an angle, one hand towards the bucket and the other towards the man on the ground. With all the grace of a dancer, Katara spun her body to the right and brought her hands together. She sent the stream of water towards the attacker's hands and feet. The many unfortunately jumped to his feet and out of Katara's grasp. The water splashed against the wall of jars and knocked a few to the ground.

"My herbs!" cried the shopkeeper.

"Sorry," Katara replied. Focusing back on the fight, she saw Shyu being forced back. He wasn't firebending at the man. She quickly bends the remaining water back into an orb and waited. She only had one shot at this.

Shyu grabbed a jar of the winged-snake wine and tossed it towards the swordsman. The swordsman's immediate, instinctive reaction allowed for him to cut through the jar in one swing. Fortunately, Shyu's move paid off. The contents of the jar momentarily blinded the attacker. The distraction allowed for Shyu to tackle the man to the floor and knock away his sword. Shyu pinned the man's wrists for just a moment.

Shyu looked over to Katara and shout "Now!"

Katara didn't waste a moment and froze the majority swordsman's left arm to the floor so he couldn't move. The swordsman began to struggle again. He was going to break free!

"Miss!" cried the shopkeeper from behind Katara. He held another bucket of water. Katara bent the water from the new bucket to encase the swordsman's right ankle and froze it to the floor. Then, she moved on to his right arm and left leg. He was completely restrained.

She did it!

"Hey! Let me go!" shouted the attacker. He continued to struggle from his place on the floor.

"You just attack us and expect us to let you go? No way!" replied Katara. For the second time that afternoon, her conversation was interrupted as a miniature whirlwind blew into the apothecary.

* * *

(Day 1, 1443 hours; Shingu)

Aang was having trouble with his rooftop fight. He was glad that he was able to distract most of the ambushers while Sokka and Zuko got away. Still, it didn't make his situation any better. There were so many people pointing weapons at him at the same time! Sure, he was fast, but these guys were good. They knew how to work together. Each time he tried to mount his glider and take flight, another guy slashed at him!

His main strategy was to annoy the attackers until they got sloppy. So far...it was working. He had redirected the weighted whip of his first attacker towards two of his other opponents enough times that the guy was hanging back. He was now facing the guy with a spear and the guy with the sickles. The guy with the spear would use long ranged attacks to break Aang's defense and allow of the man with the sickles to attempt close range strikes. After a minute of dodging, Aang saw an opening.

The guy with the spear took a downward slash. The close ranged weaponists had not lunged in too close yet.

Aang jumped onto the spearman's right shoulder and lept off the building. Aang took flight towards the top of the mail station. The moment he touched down he heard a whistling sound cutting through the air. Aang immediately jumped to the side. The weighted whip crashed down. As Aang rolled back to his feet he saw that the four ambushers had lept into the street below and were rushing to the building he was standing on. Aang whirled his staff around his body and opened the tail. With a wide sweeping motion, he blasted all four attackers back. Each one hit the wood and adobe walls of the apothecary, knocking them out.

Seeing the ambushers down, Aang rushed into the apothecary. "Katara! Shyu! We have a problem" he called.

The first thing that Aang noticed was that another person was in the shop and restrained with ice.

Katara ran over to him and threw her arms around him "Aang! Are you alright? Is Sokka okay?"

"We were attacked by these guys outside. Sokka's okay, but Zuko's hurt. He was shot with an arrow."

"Oh my!" exclaimed Shyu.

"What?! Where are they?" asked Katara.

"I don't know. After Zuko was hurt, Sokka helped him get away, but one of these guys followed them. They might still be in trouble."

"Alright" replied Shyu. "We should spread out over the town and look for them. Aang how badly was Zuko wounded?"

"I don't know. The arrow hit his arm, but I didn't see everything."

"If Zuko was injured, where would Sokka likely go?" asked Shyu.

"Back to camp," replied Katara. "He would most likely hide with Zuko for a while and then try to go back to camp."

"Okay. Avatar Aang, I have heard airbenders can run as fast as the wind. Do you think that you could catch up to them?"

"Yeah, I'll try."

"Excellent. Did you see which way they went?"

"Left, towards the harbor."

"Good, go ahead after them. We'll catch up."

Aang nodded. As soon as he left the shop, the world blurred a bit as he raced from street to street. Aang scanned down the side streets. Left. Right. Left. Right. No sign of them yet. As Aang turned a final time and the entrance came into view.

There they are!

Aang saw Sokka catch his Boomerang, but he swordsman was about to strike Sokka! Aang sped up as much as he could even though he knew he wouldn't make it in time. Zuko, of all people, stopped the attack.

No sooner had Sokka asked where he was did Aang arrive and blast the swordsman backwards. Instead of a wood and adobe wall, his swordsman collided with the stone pillar to the right of the main gate. He was instantly knocked out too.

"Nice timing buddy. Thanks for the save" said Sokka. He was smiling with visible relief.

"Aang rubbed the back of his head and blushed." He was happy Sokka was okay. Aang's eyes widen a bit as he realized that he had forgotten about Zuko for a moment. The noticed that the prince was leaning heavily onto his left leg and he was slightly trembling.

"Your arm!" exclaimed Aang.

"Don't remind me. I'm trying to block it out. Ugh." Zuko winced.

"Katara and Shyu should be here in a minute or two. I kind of ran ahead of them." After a pause, Aang continued, "let me help you. You can sit in the shade until they get here."

"I don't want your help!"

"You may not want my help, but I still do want to help you."

Zuko took on a furious expression. "This is all your fault!" he shouted.

"What?! How?" asked Aang. Aang was confused. He didn't do anything.

"Yes! If it wasn't for you, I would be back on my ship by now."

"Hang on." Interrupted Sokka. "You can't just go blaming other people for your problems."

Zuko recoiled as if he was stuck. "My problems?!" Zuko shifted into a threatening stance. "It's not my..." He cut himself off from moving his left arm when he shifted his stance. Zuko began to curl into himself as he gripped his arm just below his injury.

Aang had to admit that he was morbidly impressed. Zuko was as white as a sheet, but Aang could also see that Zuko was not going to cooperate.

"Look Angry Jerk. You're hurt and angry. We can see that. You may not want help. You may not like us. But, right now, you need us. Come on."

Zuko stood still for a moment and then looked away. Zuko's lips were pressed into a thin line. To Aang's astonishment, Zuko nodded.

Sokka heaved a heavy sigh. "Now was that so hard?"

Zuko 's eyes narrowed at the remark "I..." Zuko's eyes started to roll back into his head.

"Hey he's going to..." began Aang

Sokka saw what was happening and grabbed Zuko's shirt collar before he hit the ground.

"Hey, a little help? This guy's heavier than he looks!"

Aang nodded and moved to Zuko's left and gently hooked Zuko's injured arm over his shoulders. Together, they dragged to unconscious teen to the shady area just outside the gate.

Once they lowered Zuko into a sitting position. Aang and Sokka both dropped heavily to the ground.

"Remind me again why we're dealing with his royal jerkiness," commented Sokka. However, there was no bite to the statement that Aang would have expected. He realized that something must have happened earlier. Now, Sokka just sounded sad.

Aang said nothing. Instead, he looked up at the clouds. He loved to look at them lazily rolling through the sky whenever things were gloomy. It is such a shame that they cannot offer any cheery advice to him or his friend.

All that was left to do was wait for Katara and Shyu to arrive.

* * *

 **A/N (Part 2)**

 **Reflections:**

 _ **Snake Wine:**_ The Earth Kingdom is based on Ancient China, so I did a bit of research into Traditional Chinese Apothecaries. They have all kinds of unusual medicines in many different varieties. I realized that Katara and Shyu might experience some culture shock when entering one of these establishments. Many of the herbs and animals used would be unavailable in the Southern Water Tribe. I imagine that Shyu has also not spent but so much time in healing huts like this.

When I found out about Snake Wine, I couldn't resist adding that to the story. Scurvy is a skin disease that was common in sailors for centuries who have a Vitamin C deficiency, meaning they are not eating enough fresh fruits. Snake wine is used to cure skin disease, hence why the shopkeeper had so many bottles in stock.

 _ **Katara and Shyu's fight:**_ The pirate's plan to rush out into the street through the apothecary's front door didn't last long, but no plan lasts long in battle.

 _I know that this chapter was a bit shorter than the other, but I felt like it was a good place to wrap up the chapter. The GAang has one problem solved, but they now have a dozen more to deal with._

 _I have been wondering if everyone in the story so far seems to be in-character or if they are a bit OOC. Any thoughts on this?_

 _On a side note, I now have four days off this week for the holidays! I hope to have at least two more chapters up by the 4_ _th_ _, so stay tuned._

 _Until Next Time,_

 **NinjaGhost1752**


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